In Ashes
by MsJorable
Summary: Dean and Sam leave home to train at the Institute of Hunteri Heroici, where teenagers undergo extreme physical and psychological tests in hopes of becoming one of The Hunter Officials (THO). But Dean has a secret that leads him into a romance with a mysterious boy and a growing conflict that can mean hope or death. In this Post-Apocalyptic AU, everyone must be in the hunter life.
1. Chapter 1-Prologue

**Author's Note: Alright so this is my first story attempt so don't judge me :P. It is a Post-Apocalyptic AU so it will be dark at some times but doesn't mean there won't be any humour or romance in here. I made Dean and Sam younger than they are in the show because I wanted it to be in the present time period instead of having it based in the 90s. Since this is a prologue, it should give a small idea of what the world is like now. I would like to thank my beta obsession-is-my-life for helping with my story. She writes her own stories so check her out. Anyways I am going to shut up and let you enjoy the story now :)**

**Warnings**

**Violence**

**Character Deaths (Not Mains, just Minors)**

**Swearing**

* * *

There were only two types of people that where in this place called Earth. "The paranoid and the ignorant," my dad told my brother and me. "The ones that were scared enough fight and the ones that scared enough to do nothing." There was no question which ones we were, but the phrase still haunts me. My dad was a mechanic and my mom use to work as a researcher and we live in Lawrence, Kansas. The Winchesters have lived here for as long as my father could remember with his father, Henry Winchester, disappeared when my dad was only a kid, before the Great War begun.

Well that is what everyone calls it, except my family. All I can say is that the Great War is more of an understatement since it resulted in half of the world's population had been wiped out. My family has a better name for it, but everyone gets a little offended with the term. This so called "Great War" started January 24, 1999; I was around four years old at the time. One of the few Hell's Gates were opened from the outside using this special gun as the key that had the ability to kill any known creature to ever walk on this Earth, the Colt. Opening hell's gates would cause each demon to be released and be able to walk the earth. I remember sitting outside with my mom and dad in our backyard. I don't remember what we were doing but I remember sitting in my dad' lap watching my mom holding my baby brother Sam, who was barely a year old at the time. We had an apple pie life; something that could only existed through fantasy. This life was a dream but it was real, and the dream was soon shattered as the cloud of smoke started to travel through the town. From afar, it looked like a big storm cloud but it was moving too quickly. The air smelt of burning sulfur and got stronger as the cloud got closer. I remember looking at my parents as they were both staring at each other, shocked and confused, almost unable to move as the cloud covered up the sun, bringing us into darkness. My dad picked me up and carried me into the house before the smoke could reach us. I don't remember anything after that point. All I can remember is the smell of sulfur and burning buildings in the streets, and screams of mothers calling out the names of their lost children mixed with the screeches of children that would soon be silenced being suffocated by the thick, black smoke. I recognized some of the same faces that I would play with in the park; that I had been friends with since we were only infants. Those faces were staring at me from across the street, with those black eyes and a sinister grin as their clothes were covered in blood. Their families were lying on the ground in a tangled mess of different body parts scattered together or what was left of them.

For five years, I was hiding with my family in multiple bunkers as others would go out and fight against the demons. Just as we started to lose hope, they came. The Angels or as they preferred to call themselves "Warriors of God " . They were descended from Heaven and fought by humanity's side until they made it to Hell's gate and had sealed it for good. Everyone rejoiced in the victory, but it was bittersweet. The War may have been over, but it had left our world in ruins, and still filled with those black-eyed sons of bitches.

What was once bursting with life, with people strolling down the streets with smiles on their faces, hand in hand. Those days were long gone, along with the days where the hunters were still secret. Now, Lawrence has literally become no man's land. The streets are eerily quiet as most of the building would sit there in silence as they slowly decompose, soon to be forgotten, or left scorched from fire. Most of the families that are left from the aftermath live in a nearby Cinema, where a majority of the hunters would call their headquarters. I always found it odd but I guess it brings comfort to know that there are still others left in this crazy world. My family wasn't really interested in spending most of our time crammed in a building with over twenty families were so we decided to live in a building by ourselves. Everyone thinks we are crazy, especially when the demons make the streets their hunting ground.

Our current "home" is an old convenience store that is missing the top corner of the building from an explosion. What caused the explosion? I wish I knew. Either way, we can't exactly be picky with our very small selection. I have to share my room with my brother, Sammy, who is now sixteen years old. Our room is simple, with two worn-down sleeping bags on either side of the small room. We have a few posters that we managed to find in the rubble of the store and put them up on the decomposing walls with rusty pins. In the corner, a pile of worn down books are stacked high filled with information, mainly on the different creatures that currently roam the Earth, including demons. My home isn't really complicated; and Lawrence was Lawrence I guess. People hide behind their curtains as we walk down the street in constant fear, not that I can really blame them. The sun hiding behind an overcast of clouds; making everything in the world appears grey and somber as the wind blows leaves and debris in the wind. Nothing ever changed, which is why I am leaving. In a few weeks, my family and I will travel to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where we will live with an old family friend, Bobby, and I will attend the Institute of Hunteri Heroici. It was extremely hard to be accepted but thankfully Sam and I are skilled in martial arts and research thanks to our parents. It will be a completely different experience that could change my life forever. Turns out it would change my life in ways I would of never expected.

There was a conspiracy.

There was a boy.

And in the end, there were graves.

No one ever saw it coming.

* * *

**Author's Note: I think we all know who this "mystery boy" is at this point *wink wink*. Hopefully you enjoyed this, I will try to update at least once a week but no promises because I always forget them. Please review I would appreciate it :)**


	2. Chapter 2-The Dream

**Author's note: Well look at that I finally updated the story. The sad thing is that I have five chapters already written but I keep on forgetting to get my beta to look at it. Oh well, what matters is that the story continues and it will be a good time...kind of**

* * *

I was running and gasping for air as I stumbled through a field unable to focus on anything around me.

"_Dean!"_

There was a figure in the distance near a tree on a hill. I wasn't able to see much of him but I saw what looked like a long coat swaying in the wind. A voice was calling to me, and the sound of his voice made me start to run even faster.

"_Dean, please!"_

I kept running across the field that seemed to get longer and longer as I kept on hearing my name being repeated over and over again. Either that or was I getting even slower. It doesn't matter at this point. I need to get to him, I don't know why but I had to. His voice started to get louder and louder as I finally got closer. As I got closer I saw more of his features. I saw that he was taller than I expected, had black hair that pointed in all different directions and a torn overcoat covered in what I assumed was blood. I could barely make out his face as it was covered with what could only be explained as black ooze and sores. He was leaning against the tree as if he were in pain. Just as I made it to the base of the hill, he turned and started to run in the opposite direction.

"Hey, come back," I shouted, "Son of a bi-"

I sprinted up the steep hill which seemed a lot bigger than it looked, hoping that he had not travelled far in his condition. As I made it to the top of the hill, everything had evaporated around me. I wasn't in the field anymore. I was behind a chained fence and on the other side was him, and he was staring straight at me. At first, he didn't move, he just stared with such intensity that it scared me but I couldn't look away. That was when I noticed his blue eyes that were so dark yet so bright. I have never seen someone look so sad and hurt in my life. I opened my mouth and wanted to tell him that everything was okay, and that I would help him. But nothing came out, no matter how hard I tried. He started to turn around with his back facing towards me as he stared out at the bottomless river before him. He wasn't moving, as if he were in a trance from the rhythm of the slow moving current. Then, he started to trudge forward, going deeper into the river.

"Wait what are you doing?" I screamed but he couldn't hear me. It was as if I were talking to a brick wall. I kept trying to scream louder and louder saying the same phrase over and over again. I tried to kick down the fence that was between us but it wouldn't budge. I was screaming and pleading for him to stop and hoped that he would hear me, but he didn't. He kept walking and walking deeper into the river until finally his head disappear under the current. I stood there for what felt like an eternity. I was just hoping, even praying that he was okay. Finally, I noticed something not too far from where I was, floating towards the shore behind the trees. It looked like the end of the trench coat. I had a small glint of hope. Maybe he is okay, maybe he is alive. I ran towards with such speed that I couldn't really believe this was possible. I went through a gate that wasn't there before and passed the tree in hopes of seeing him. He might be unconscious but he would be there. But that didn't happen. Instead of him being there, I was greeted with his torn trench coat… and nothing else. As I walked over to the trench coat, I felt my knees buckle from under me as I fell to knees staring at the trench coat. I couldn't cry, it was as if I had become completely numb on the inside because all I felt was loss as I held onto the coat in my arms. I could still see those bright, blue eyes staring back at me.

There was so much pain and sadness behind them. I couldn't help him. I couldn't save him.

And I felt like I couldn't live without him.

I sat up with a jerk, trying to catch my breath as cold sweat dripped slowly down my face.

My eyes focused on a torn poster across the room in the patch of dim light coming from a window in the ceiling above me. It's light outside indicating the morning. I was in my room.

My head was throbbing, and I fell back on to my air mattress. I rubbed my temples with my fingers hoping to reduce the pain from the dream that receded in my head as it always has. I was safe in my room, in the old convenience store, in the same worn down mattress that has probably been more than it should of since various spots where covered in duct tape after too many encounters with sharp objects.

I stared up at the plaster ceiling, resembling the colour of mold from years of damage and destruction. What was wrong with me?

"Dean?"

I turned my head towards the other end of the room and saw Sam, sitting on top of his mattress, hunched over with his backpack next to him. Sam isn't the little squirt that he was a couple of years ago. He is sixteen now but with the way he is growing, people mistaken him for being the oldest, even though I am 6'1 and he was only 5'11. He was staring right at me and he had this look on his face that bothered me the most; worry.

"Yeah, what is it Sammy?" I mumbled as I covered my face with my forearm hoping to block out the sun piercing through the window now.

"Are you okay?" he asked, "You don't look so good."

"I'm fine, stop freaking out I'm just tired," I replied as I removed my arm from my face, slowly adjusting to the sunlight.

"If you're fine, what is that?" Sam said accusingly as he pointed directly at my arms.

I looked down at my arms and that is when I saw it. My arms were covered in scratches going across my arm in different directions with blood caked under my fingernails. The scratches were so red they almost looked like… sores.

Busted. "Don't worry about it Sammy it is nothing," I sighed as I sat up and rolled down my sleeves to cover up my wound. Sammy shouldn't worry about those things since it wasn't uncommon for us to have injuries. Every day, we were practicing our combat skills for hours with our dad in the back of the building. Don't get me wrong, I love learning to use a pistol, throw knifes, and hand-on-hand fighting moves, but most of the time we end up going back inside covered in various bruises and cuts that our mom would have to treat as she scolds our dad for not being careful. I will have to clean up before Mom sees them and I don't want her to worry too.

"No, that's not just nothing Dean!" Sam exclaimed, now hovering over me as he stood at my side with a face that was a mix of confusion and anger. I always hated when he did that. It made me feel smaller and more vulnerable, something I forbid myself from feeling around Sam or anyone for that matter. I looked away from him so I wouldn't have to see his eyes as they practically bore holes into my head. It took a while for Sam's face to soften but the expression was still there.

"I'm just worried about you Dean," Sam exhaled.

"Yeah… I know," I whispered. I looked at my younger brother, as I tried to disguise the pain I was feeling as well as I could, but I knew I was failing.

These dreams have been happening for a couple of weeks now. They have always been the same. I run down a field, I see the figure alone, I follow him, I watch him he walks into the river as I try to scream. I find the coat and then it ends. I should be used to this by now, but I'm not. It still hurts to see him in pain at that tree and the urge to run to his side just so I can help him. Then, I am forced to watch him walk into that black, bottomless river completely helpless. Every time I had this dream I failed to save him, and I couldn't let go and I am not sure why. I don't even know why I care so much, I never even met him.

Even though I've had this dream for weeks, I can never seem to remember his face entirely well. All I can remember is his eyes that looked so unnaturally blue. I started to shake as shivers ran down my spine. Why is this happening to me? Maybe this crazy life of mines has finally gotten to my head or maybe I just need to stop hitting Dad's secret supply of liquor so often.

"Sam and Dean Winchester! You two better be awake, I don't want us to leave late so we are driving during the night like the last time." I could hear Mom's voice from all the way from the lower section of the convenience store.

Both Sammy and I averted our eyes to the staircase then looked back at each other. I smiled at Sammy in an attempt to release the tension. "Well you heard her."

I pushed away my blanket as I stood up and walked out of the room as fast as I could, Sam not moving at all as he watched me exit the room. I got into the bathroom to brush my teeth, splash some water onto my face and wash my arms. I tried to forget about it as I scrubbed my arms with some salvaged Ivory soap, and the dried blood would disappear down the drain, along with all the pain. If I didn't think about it, it should go away. I was able to do it when I had nightmares about the Invasion when I was a kid. But not when it came to him. I couldn't help it because I always thought about him. So this is my secret. I was nineteen years old and I was dreaming about a guy I never even met, but wanted to protect, and I was losing my mind. No matter how hard I scrubbed away at my arms, my heart would still be pounding. And under the protective fog I constantly put myself in; I can still see him standing in the mist.

Black hair and blue eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note: So that is the end of chapter two. So I am planning to incorporate some of the events of the show into the story because scenes like the one in this chapter is just too good not to bring up again. Since I forgot to update the last time, I am going to update a little sooner. Think of it as an apology for taking so long. Please review, it helps me out a lot :)  
**


	3. Chapter 3 - The Trigger

**Author's Note: So here is the new chapter as promised. I am still working on the fourth chpater so it may not be up until two weeks from now. I have been a little busy so who knows at this point to be honest. Anyways enjoy this chapter, they have a lovely conversation.**

* * *

I went downstairs to immerse myself in the reassuring feeling of home. Across the room, my dad was at the table immersed in the various news reports that we manage to get every once in a while. He wore almost the exact same thing as he always did; a simple plaid shirt with a jacket over it, along with worn down jeans. Any sort of documents we manage to save, we keep under file in the shelves that were left behind in the store. My mom was standing at the counter, hovering over the portable stove as she heated up our rations. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, mom looked up, turned around and smiled in return as I took my seat at the table. Her hair wasn't down as it usually is at home. She had her hair in a messy ponytail and she was already dressed in a simple t-shirt, jeans and sweater. She left her position at the stove to hand me a plate of with various rations and snacks then turned back to put the rest of the plates out on the table before taking her seat next to Dad. I'm always hungry in the morning but today I felt like I hadn't eaten in a week. It's my mom's mission to make Sam and I grow another foot or so, even though we are already past 6 feet tall. I grinned at her, even with my mouth full.

" Hey mom is there any - " she slides the glass of water along with a small package of a green powder before I could even finish my sentence.

I exhaled as I started to mix the powder into the water, slightly disappointed. "What happened to the orange powder they always have?" There are no more sodas or juices available unless you are one of the very few powerful people that still live in this world. These mixed protein drinks are the closest things we got now to that luxury. No matter how early in the morning, I always had to have some sort of sugar fix.

"The Officials are running low on supplies," she said as she continues to scan the pages of an unnamed book. When my mom is constantly running around the house trying to keep things in order or out at work, she will immerse herself in books. Most of them are books she managed to save from old houses or they were abandoned after their owners left them on their quick getaway to safety that they would never find in. All of them are stacked proudly in bookshelves that line the walls on our "living room".

"Unless you would like to complaint to them yourselves?" she says as she glances over her book with a smirk on her face.

"Umm I think I will pass thanks." I might be tough, but I know when not to mess with someone, especially when it comes to the Officials. The Officials Hunters are the best of the best of hunters. Technically, everyone becomes a hunter by the age of thirteen because it has become mandatory after the invasion. They actually increased the age recently since I started using a gun at the age of nine. Either way, the best of the best do not put up with anyone's bullshit, especially if it comes from a kid like me.

Mom just chuckled under her breath at my response. "Hmm, that is what I thought".

Moments later, Sam came down the stairs with a small hop in his step as he plopped himself in his seat next to me and started to shovel down his food.

"Wow Sammy this isn't a race. You can slow it down you know," I said with a smirk on my face. Sam always hated when I smirked at him since it made me look like a condescending asshole who tries too hard." His usually response results in a pout and squinty eyes that I like to call his 'bitch face'. My mom finds that face adorable, which usually results in her pinching his cheeks which always made my situation a whole lot better.

"You're to talk Dean. I have seen you pound back a bowl of beans in under a minute," Sam said as he briefly paused from eating his food. "And stop doing that face, it's annoying."

"Well sorry for appreciating good food," I said as I rolled my eyes "and I was trying to save our family's noses before you got into it yourself."

Sam looked up and arched his eyebrows in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Dude, do you smell your farts or did it destroy your nose already?"

"Oh don't worry Dean," Sam looked me in the eye, trying to appear serious but was failing.

"My farts aren't that bad and besides Dean, look at what I got" Sam said with a grin slowly developing on his face as he pointed his plastic fork to reveal a steamy bowl of beans that were concealed behind his cup and some books.

"Oh no," I groaned as I turn to Mom who clearly knew what she has done as she was already looking in our direction.

She sighed as she put her book down, "It was the only meal left Dean and Sam if you 'release' any sort of gas in the car, you are the one cleaning the car."

If I didn't know Sam, I would think he was actually hurt by the comment. I knew better than to know the look on his face was a big show as an attempt to get sympathy from Mom. It never works.

"Are my farts really that bad?"

"Sam, I swear I went blind once they were so toxic" I said.

By this point, I started to laugh uncontrollable. Eventually Sam gave in and started to laugh with me.

"Okay I think that is enough talk on that subject for the day. I would like to enjoy my breakfast. " Mom said as she glared at us mockingly.

"Yes mom," Sam and I said in unison as we tried to hide our grins.

"Good," Mom said with a small grin on her face.

"Sweetheart, I thought you were going to cut your hair" She said in a scolding yet mocking tone. I knew Mom well enough to tell the difference.

"When did I say that?" Sam said in confusion. Mom started to gather the plates but left Dad's plate that was still untouched and put them into the sink.

"Eyes are the gateway to the soul you know," she said as she started to run water over the dirty plates.

"Maybe I don't have a soul to look at."

My mom and I rolled our eyes with exaggeration. "Don't be ridiculous of course you do Sammy."

"You don't know that," Sam said with his arms crossed and his head tilted to the ceiling.

My mom shook her head as she started to clean the dishes and turned to my dad in hopes for backup. "Honey, tell your son that he has a soul."

Dad didn't even raise his head from the papers. "Yeah sure sweetheart," he was clearly distracted. His eyes never left the pages as he kept scanning them over.

Mom was always okay with us reading books at the table as long as you still communicate with the family. Clearly, Dad wanted nothing to do with the conversation which pissed mom off. Mom quickly turned around as she wiped her hands on her pants as she snatched the papers away from Dad's hands, which resulted in him starting to protest in confusion.

"What did I do wrong?" Dad said slightly startled from the sudden change in mood.

My mom hid the papers behind her back as she stared down her husband. "What is so interesting on these papers that prevent you from speaking with your family?"

"It is nothing, I just got really into the –" Dad was cut off when he realized that Mom was sitting down as she placed her hands over his, looking him straight in the eyes. She looked really concerned.

"Please don't lie to me John," mom always knew when something was wrong with Dad. Something Sam and I never learned how to decipher. "What is really going on?"

At first my dad was silent as he looked down at the table with a hardened look on his face. He eventually gave in as sighed and look back up to look at our concerned faces. "There has been an increase in supernatural activity in the past week."

The family was silent as we looked at my dad in shock. "What do you mean by increase in activity?" I said, finally breaking my ongoing silence. "I know there are sudden spikes but it usually goes down within a day. An increase that lasts this long has never happened before."

"I know. I was studying the last couple of updates they provide in the papers. The graphs were particularly why I was so distracted," he said as he glanced at Mom who appeared confused and slightly ashamed for her outburst earlier. Dad looked equally as ashamed as he looked towards Sam and me.

"They have come up with two conclusions. One, a large amount of demons have decided to come out of hiding in hopes of a last stand to what is left of them on Earth."

"What is the second one?" Sam asked.

"The second one is that there might be another way that demons are coming in that we don't know about. And that other way besides the Gate is being discovered fast."

I threw in my question before Sammy even got the chance. "But it is impossible for them to get through now. The Gate has been locked on their side for good a long time ago. Unless…"

"Someone is helping on the other side," Sam finished.

We both looked at each other in acknowledgement. We were always good at this kind of stuff.

Curiosity bested me before I could stop myself from asking more questions.

"Do you know what the Officials are saying? Who would actually be crazy enough to be helping the things that almost wiped us out?"

"They actually believed that Crowley was the one behind it all but if he was then he would have done it years ago. That was the second thing that worried me. No demon would be powerful enough to create this little 'rabbit hole'. They aren't even going to consider humans because that is impossible as well. My dad sighed before he continued. "And what other new powerful friends do we have hanging around that can actually possess such power?"

I knew the question was rhetorical but I answered it anyways.

"Angels."

* * *

**Author's Note: Look at that a cliffhanger everyone. Sorry, but expect that to happen a lot in this story. Anyways like I said before, the next chapter might be later than usual so sorry about that. On the plus side, we get to met a very loveable character, one that is actually returning in season nine. If you can leave a review that would be great :)**


End file.
